


It's Not Who You Were, It's Who You Are

by brazenlyunabashedlyshamelessly



Series: White Picket Fence Fantasies [3]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Fluff, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:04:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brazenlyunabashedlyshamelessly/pseuds/brazenlyunabashedlyshamelessly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey runs into two of Ian's more unpleasant coworkers, and feels self-conscious. He considers having his tattoos removed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Who You Were, It's Who You Are

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear what you guys think of this one. Comments are always welcome!

“Oh, my god. You _cannot_ be serious.”

The voice was high-pitched and it shredded Mickey Milkovich’s nerves. It belonged to a slender brunette woman in a tank top and exercise shorts. Standing next to her was a tall man with broad shoulders, hair so blond there was no way it could be natural, and a disdainful expression marring what would be an otherwise gorgeous face. They were both tan and shiny-looking.

“I know,” Captain Peroxide said in a stage whisper. “Talk about batting above average. What could Ian _possibly_ see in him? I mean, have you gotten a look at those tattoos?”

Mickey clenched his jaw, and tried to ignore their commentary. He fuckin’ hated coming to this place. It was a Friday night, and him and Gallagher were supposed to be heading over to the place Fiona was sharing with Jimmy/Steve/what-the-fuck-ever for dinner. He and Ian had agreed to meet at the gym, and then they’d head over to Fiona’s from there. It had seemed like a good idea, until the peanut gallery had spotted him.

Gallagher had been working at the gym for the past few months, and while most of the staff were becoming used to seeing Mickey every now and again, there were some, like Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum over there, who had made it their mission to make Mickey as uncomfortable as possible.

It took Mickey a second to realise that he was rubbing at his tattoos self-consciously.

The tats had seemed like a good idea at the time, and they served him well on the South Side. Because, seriously, who would look for trouble with a dirty hood rat whose knuckles stated in no uncertain terms what would happen to them if they did? So, the ink normally kept fights from breaking out, because people were usually too pussy to try anything.

Except, now that he and his boyfriend were moving up a little in the world, the tats were becoming a pain in the ass.

“I’m pretty sure he could have tattooed the words ‘ **DUMB THUG** ’ and gotten the same result,” blondie continued.

Mickey fought back the natural instinct to feed the smug prick his teeth. This was where Ian worked he had to remind himself. Ian was happy here, happier than he’d been in a while, work-wise. Mickey wasn’t gonna shit on that.

Thankfully, Gallagher chose that moment to rock up. He was waving over his shoulder at someone, and his smile widened when he caught sight of the bitch squad.

“Wendy, Darren, hey!” he said cheerfully.

“Hi Ian,” the brunette said in a flirtatious tone.

“We were wondering if you had any plans for tonight,” blondie said, managing to one up his hag with the flirty.

The urge to beat the guy bloody surged inside Mickey again, but he forced it down. Gallagher had made it clear that the jealousy thing wasn’t cute.

“Thanks, guys, but I’ve got plans,” Gallagher answered in that same friendly voice. “Me and my boyfriend are having dinner with the family,” he continued.

“You have a boyfriend?” the Kim K look alike—Wendy—asked innocently.

“Yeah, he’s...” Ian spotted Mickey trying to blend into the neutral wallpaper, and waved him over. “Mick, get over here.”

Mickey tried not to cringe. Reaching desperately for the bravado he usually carried with him wherever he went, Mickey swaggered over to where Ian was standing with his colleagues. The redhead made the introductions proudly.

“Guys, this is Mickey. Mick, this is Darren and Wendy.”

Mickey gave an awkward wave, pretending he didn’t notice the stank eye Darren gave him, or the way Wendy wrinkled her nose.

“Oh, we saw him standing there, but we thought maybe he was coming for the security night shift or something,” Wendy said blithely.

Ian’s brow furrowed slightly, but Mickey spoke before the other man could comment.

“We should get goin’,” he muttered, “or we’re gonna be late.”

“Maybe the three of us can do something next weekend,” Darren suggested, pretending that Mickey wasn’t there. “Or anytime you aren’t... busy.” The guy smiled widely, showcasing his pearly whites.

They said their goodbyes and started for the exit. Ian reached out to put an arm around Mickey’s shoulders, but Mickey dodged him. He didn’t know why, but he was suddenly uncomfortable at the thought of being all coupley in view of those two.

They headed to the car—the same one Mandy had used to hit that chick from school—in silence. He could feel Ian’s gaze on him, but he made sure to avoid eye contact.

For the first time in a long while, Mickey felt doubt gnawing at him. He had faith in his and Ian’s relationship. They had gone through so fuckin’ much, and there’d been times where he’d been sure that they’d never be able to reach this point. But they had, because they trusted each other, and they accepted that neither one of them would ever be Prince Charming.

But there were days when Mickey wished he was better. Gallagher had made improvements; he was on his meds, he’d gotten his GED, he was making good money. Mickey had a job, but mostly it involved him doing something he’d been helping his uncles with since he was a kid. When it came right down to it, Mickey felt like he was still the same foul-mouthed, dirty thug he’d been when he and Gallagher had first started.

They made the trip in an uncharacteristic silence, as though Ian sensed that Mickey’s head was somewhere else. The other man was patient like that, knowing when Mickey needed quiet, and when he needed someone to shake him out of his brooding. Gallagher had turned the radio on, and was humming along to whatever song was playing. The sound was reassuring and for a few minutes, Mickey let himself enjoy the normalcy of what they were doing.

They pulled up at the place where Fiona and Jimmy were staying. It was nicer than the house the Gallagher’s had been living in on the South Side. Debbie, Carl and Liam were still living with them, but the house didn’t have that cramped feeling now that Ian and Lip were in their own places.

Mickey turned the car off, and they sat there for a second in the quiet. A sudden pounding at the window made him jump.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” he burst out.

Standing there at the window, a wide grin on his face, was Liam. The kid had taken an inexplicable liking to Mickey. In the beginning, it had made him uncomfortable as fuck, but he’d gotten used to the boy’s enthusiasm.

“Hey Mick!” the ten-year old said excitedly as Mickey opened the car door.

“Hey kiddo,” Mick said with a smile. He could hear Gallagher muttering something about being chopped liver from the passenger seat. The kid wrapped his spindly arms around Mickey’s waist and gave him a tight squeeze. This was the way Liam normally greeted him, but for some reason it brought a lump to his throat this time.

For fuck’s sake, Mickey thought irritably. He was gonna sprout tits soon if he didn’t get his shit together.

Mickey returned the hug, fighting back the stupid feelings that had swamped him, and told the kid in a loud whisper, “You should say hi to your brother, or he’s gonna start thinkin’ that I’m your favourite.”

The kid giggled, and raced over to Ian.

Mickey heard the two of them talking, Ian asking Liam about his day and the kid answering with his usual exuberance. Mickey rubbed a hand over his face before turning to head up the front steps of the house with his boyfriend and the kid.

It was in the living room where they found Mickey’s least favourite member of the Gallagher family. Lip was lounging on the couch, flipping through channels lazily. He looked up at his brothers and Mickey, and smirked. Mickey had lost count of all the times he’d wanted to knock that look off the asshole’s face.

“Well, if it isn’t Ian and his butt buddy,” Lip drawled.

Ian rolled his eyes at Lip, and flipped him off.

“What’s a butt buddy?” Liam asked curiously.

Mickey did not feel like going there, so he tried to distract the kid.

“Where is everyone?” He directed the question at Liam, not wanting to deal with Ian’s smartass older brother.

As if on cue, Jimmy Lishman came sauntering out of the kitchen, an apron tied around his slim waist. The guy had given up on his dreams of becoming a doctor, and had instead opted for used car sales. Unsurprisingly—at least, it wasn’t a surprise to Mickey—the guy had proven to be a natural.

“Everyone’s here,” Jimmy said happily. “See, I told you I heard a car pulling up,” he called triumphantly towards the kitchen. Apparently winning an argument with Fiona was a rarity, if he was just about on the verge of a victory dance about being right over this.

“Yeah, yeah,” came Fiona’s voice. She sounded unimpressed.

 “C’mon,” Ian said, snagging Mickey’s hand and dragging him into the kitchen.

Fiona was wearing a pair of cut-off shorts and a thin t-shirt. Her face split into a huge smile at the sight of her younger brother. She grabbed hold of Ian and hugged him tight. She pressed a kiss on his cheek, before turning to Mickey. She gave him a brief, one-armed hug.

The relationship between Fiona and Mickey had always been... weird. He knew how Fiona felt about the Milkoviches—he’d heard Mandy bitchin’ about it enough times—but they’d both had to work together after Ian had gotten sick. So, while he knew that he’d never be Fiona’s idea of the perfect boyfriend for her brother, they’d developed a kind of grudging respect for one another.

She and Ian started up talking about work, Ian going on about the clients who were doing well, and the ones who weren’t. Fiona was making her brother laugh, telling him about the perils of working a desk job.

Mickey wasn’t in the mood to chit-chat, and he felt awkward just standing there.

“Mickey,” a little voice called, “you wanna help me with my homework?”

The question froze Mickey for a second. If Liam was gonna be asking anyone for help with that kind of thing, it’d be Lip, or even Ian. But no one stopped and stared, or asked the kid if he was crazy. They just kept on with whatever they were doing.

Liam seemed to take Mickey’s silence for unwillingness.

“You-you don’t have to, if you don’t want,” he said with a self-conscious shrug.

“Nah,” Mickey said, shaking himself. He headed over to where Liam was sitting at the kitchen table, and pulled a chair up beside the kid. “What’re you doin’?”

“Math,” Liam said, pulling a face.

Okay, maybe he could be sorta useful here. He probably would’ve been okay at math if he’d actually bothered to show up for class more. Mickey furrowed his brow and took a closer look at what the kid was doing.

Mickey and Liam had been working there together for a few minutes when something made him look up. Staring at him from across the kitchen was Ian. The redhead had a slight smile on his face, and his eyes were warm. Mickey felt a flush creeping across his cheeks, and he ducked his head automatically.

He didn’t look up again, focusing his attention on Liam and the figures in front of them. After a while, Fiona announced that dinner was ready, and the kid scrambled to pack away his books.

“Where’re Debbie and Carl?” Ian asked, taking a seat next to Mickey.

“They both had dates,” Jimmy answered. “I even let Carl borrow my car to pick up his girlfriend.” His face was set in a determined smile, like he was trying not to freak out at may be happening to the vehicle as they spoke.

Mickey wondered what the fuck had made the guy think that was a good idea, but let it go.

The meal passed in what Mickey now knew to be the usual chaos. Even though they were two family members short, you wouldn’t be able to tell listening to the din. It was so different from what he’d grown up with, that Mickey still didn’t do much in the way of participation. He usually just sat there and listened. It was nice to know that people could argue and disagree without having to resort to their fists. But he wasn’t paying too much attention to what was being said, still a little distracted by what had happened earlier in the evening.

He and Ian stayed until a little past midnight before leaving.

They climbed in the car and started making their way home. It had been a good night, and Ian was in high spirits. Mickey knew that his boyfriend sometimes missed the chaos of living with a half-dozen siblings, so he was glad Ian was happy.

Still, he wasn’t really listening to Gallagher’s chatter, his thoughts on other matters.

“... so I was thinking of going back to Boystown,” Ian said conversationally, “only this time as a drag performer.”

“Sounds good,” Mickey muttered.

Ian punched him in the arm without warning.

“ _Ow_ , Gallagher! What the fuck?” Mickey yelled indignantly.

“You’ve been acting weird all night,” Ian told him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothin’,” Mickey sputtered.

Ian made an impatient sound, and gestured towards the side of the road.

“Pull over.”

Mickey stared at his boyfriend incredulously, but kept driving.

“Damn it, Mick, pull over right the hell now,” Ian barked.

Doing as his boyfriend ordered, Mickey slowly brought the car to a stop on the side of the road.

“We’re beggin’ for the car to get jacked,” he muttered.

Ian ignored him. They sat there in silence, Gallagher waiting for him to explain why he’d been so quiet, and Mickey determined not to say anything.

“Mickey, come the fuck on.” Ian finally broke the stalemate, his tone exasperated. “Talk to me,” he continued more gently.

“I’ve just been thinking...” Mickey started after a brief hesitation, “maybe I oughta get my tats removed.”

“What? What the fuck for?” Ian burst out.

Mickey gave an awkward little shrug. He really didn’t wanna talk about this. Running a hand over his face, he answered without making eye contact with his boyfriend.

“I don’t wanna embarrass you,” he said softly.

Mickey felt Ian moving towards him in the car, but he still wouldn’t look at the other man. He kept his gaze fixed firmly on his lap.

A pair of freckled hands grabbed hold of his paler ones, and Ian rubbed his fingers over Mickey’s tattooed knuckles. The contact made something in Mickey’s chest tighten.

Ian’s voice was filled with affection when he spoke.

“First of all, I like the tattoos. I have since the first time I saw them. Secondly, after all the time we had to spend hiding, you could _never_ embarrass me.”

Ian ducked his head to meet Mickey’s gaze. His green eyes were earnest.

“Mick, you’re it for me. I want everyone to know that we’re together. If you wanna get rid of the tattoos, that’s up to you. But you don’t have to change for me, and you sure as hell don’t do it for of a couple of stuck up assholes.”

Mickey forced himself to hold Ian’s stare. Even after all this time, Mickey still wasn’t good with the emotional bullshit. But it was important that Ian knew.

“I wanna be better for you,” Mickey whispered.

Ian let go of the grip he had on Mickey’s hands. The redhead scooted closer and cupped Mickey’s face in his hands. Ian pressed a gentle kiss on Mickey’s lips.

“Mick, I love you exactly the way you are. I loved that dirty, bad-tempered asshole I met when we were kids; and I’ll love the man you’re gonna be ten years from now.”

Mickey didn’t know what to say. He pulled away from Ian and scrubbed a rough hand over his face, rubbing away the stupid fuckin’ tears that had suddenly sprung up. A couple years ago, Mickey would have scoffed at Ian for saying shit like that. But now... now it meant everything.

Ian gave Mickey a minute to pull himself together.

Finally, when Mickey spoke again, his voice trembled slightly.

“I like the tats too.”

They didn’t talk more after that. Ian resettled himself in his seat, and Mickey started the car. The atmosphere in the vehicle had cleared up, and they spent the rest of the ride home talking about nothing in particular.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading this half as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been a long time since something I wrote just flowed like this; this fic is my favourite one I've written so far.


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